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Show 187 1959 Editorial. "Enfermedades de los Indigenas," America Indigena, XIX, No. 1 (January, 1949), pp. 3-4. English summary: Generally speaking, the Indian not only vegetates on a very low economic and cultural level but he is also, from the biological point of view, the victim of diseases which affect him almost exclusively. Since there are no medical services in the villages where he lives, his only recourse is to consult quack witch doctors and medicine men who are totally unqualified, with very rare exceptions, to cure him. The high mortality and morbidity figures which reflect the disappearance or decimation of many aboriginal groups, among which are the Lacandons and Seris of Mexico, as a result of this situation. In some regions of the continent thousands of inhabitants are afflicted with a similar disease which has not been exterminated to date and frequently whose extermination has not even been attempted, In order to remedy this situation, recommendations should be made to these Indians and mestizos for their protection, but in order to achieve this, their economic and cultural level must be raised. Such a step presents great difficulties since the position of the aboriginal groups is identical with or little different from that which they occupied in ancient times. The governments of the continent should be urged to make beneficial changes in the way of life of these pariahs. Mak, Cornelia, "Mixtec Medical Beliefs and Practices," America Ind igena, XIX, No. 2 (April, 1959), pp. 125-150. Article written in English with a Spanish summary. Garcia Manzanedo, Hector y Catalina G. de Garcia, "El Chaneque en el Folklore y en la Salud," America Indigena, XIX, No. 2 (April, 1959), pp. 151-157. English summary: This article takes up the part of the chaneques in the folklore and health of the Los Tuxtlas zone of the state of Veracruz, Mexico, chaneques are imaginary supernatural beings which exist in Veracruz folklore, and apparently also in that of some regions of the state of Oaxaca. In the Los Tuxtlas region the chaneques not only exists and holds an important place in the tradition, but also in health, since it is considered to be responsible for causing certain kinds of illnesses, some of them extremely grave, which can cause death. A great part of the information presented in this article appeared in the report entitled, "Santiago Tuxtla, Veracruz; Culture and Health," published in mimeograph by the Bureau of Experimental Studies in Public Health of the Mexican Ministry of Health and Welfare. The report was done by Dr. Isabel Kelly of the Institute of Inter-American Affairs, her collaborators then being the authors of this article. |